


I feel pretty, unpretty

by blossattic



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Body Image, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Insecurity, Makeup, Self-Esteem Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-04
Updated: 2019-03-04
Packaged: 2019-11-09 08:36:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17998514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blossattic/pseuds/blossattic
Summary: Carmen is more than used to makeup. She loves it. However, insecurities can make her doubt about it and herself. Am I pretty or unpretty in his eyes?I feel pretty. Oh so pretty! I feel pretty and witty and bright… And I pity, any girl who isn’t me tonight~ ♪





	1. (C side)

Moisturizer, primer, foundation, concealer, powder, eyeshadow, mascara. Stop.

This was a practiced routine, done by years now. A relaxing activity she enjoyed with passion. It was a form of art, something that made her feel good! Why was it so different today?

Violet eyes stared at her reflection on the mirror. She still had to apply mascara on her other eye, and line her lips, and add the lipstick. What shade today? Don’t forget the blush…  
  


“I do not use blush.”  
  


Even her voice sounded off, distant and unpersonal. It was as strange at the person she saw at the other side. Too doll like, too perfect. Maybe it was the product but her eyes were watering some already.  
  


“Darling, we must hurry. The reservation is due to a couple of minutes- Are you alright?”  
  


The new face in the mirror was one she knew too well by now too, but he didn’t have a thing on to make him look so attractive. So handsome and elegant. His lashes were long and fanned out around beautiful eyes. His face had the perfect structure to prescind from any contour, and without any foundation on the imperfections on his skin and other beauty marks that so appealed to her were there, on display.

Carmen looked down, suddenly overwhelmed, her lips pressed together on a tight line. She felt the gentle pressure of his hands on her arms, rubbing up and down to try and soothe her uneasiness, not really knowing what was happening.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she put aside the tube of mascara and looked up once more.  
  


“Can I appeal to your complete sincerity and honest word?”  
  


Ignis looked right back at her throught the mirror, face a perfect serious mask that made her shoulders relax. A nod and she imitated him, gathering the courage.  
  


“Do you find me attractive only when I wear makeup? Because I feel unpretty right now.”  
  


It was like facing one’s biggest fear head on. She could be trembling some, imperceptibly so, as her gaze did. Her admission, even carrying bravery, shown some vulnerability too. Like letting go of a heavy rock but anticipating the harsh pull and subsecuencial drag, Carmen waited for his reply with patience and blooming apprehension.

Ignis looked at her for a good half minute, eyes roaming all over her face before fixing his spectacles. A well practiced move for when he collected his thoughts in order. Once his hand went to locate the makeup remover wipes, Carmen felt her chest constrict with dejection. He only asked her to stay put as she was but with closed eyes, a simple request delivered with a neutral tone that didn’t give much away.

He only started once she complied to his indications, and once one of her slightly cold hands was wrapped by one of his, gently but firmly. Ignis didn’t have to do much to her clipped hair to run the soft cloth over one cheek and down to her chin, then a part of her forehead, over one eyelid, carefully as to not irritate the delicate skin, and finally half her lips. By the time he was done and asked her to open her eyes, Carmen was aware of his intentions and the mirror shown her intuition was not wrong.

Half her face was bare, half her face was done.  
  


“I’ve seen you in both moments, my dear. With a clean face and with your most dramatic look. My affections and love for you don’t meassure on how many layers of cosmetics you have on your face. What matters the most is the one underneath it all.”  
  


A pause, and he took her free hand to take it to his lips. A delicate kiss over her knuckles and the most sincere and loving gaze was being thrown her way once more.  
  


“A work of art shows itself in many representations and styles, and each one continues to be beautiful on his own unique way- You surprise me everyday with how makeup flatters you and presents you in different ways, yet you manage to steal my breath away all the same when you don’t have it.”  
  


Maybe it wasn’t the product because her eyes kept stinging, but finally tears were shed, one crystal clear and the other dark grey, hurrying alone the curves of her cheeks and having their path crooked over the emotive smile she held.

Carmen even chuckled and smiled even bigger after Ignis held her more securely in his arms, smiling lips kissing her temple.

Grateful and giddy inside after hearing his opinion on the matter, Carmen felt as Aphrodite herself was winking at her through the mirror, a pink misty haze with sparkles covering them… One that disipated when his phone alarm began buzzing.  
  


“Now, do you mind deciding which side of you will accompany me for supper?”  
  


Maybe it was the sonority of his voice, the way he said it so good heartily that had her booping him in the nose with a fake hurt expression.  
  


“Good grace, take it all off. I’m crying and ruining it all already!”  
  


That challenge of doing your makeup in 5 minutes or so was one she had yet to achieve. And in the car? Added dare.


	2. (H side)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Honey goes shopping for the perfect dress for a date with Prompto. The sour experience makes her question her body shape.

_I need a dress. We have the date in.. hm… It’s this weekend! AH! I’ve to hurry!_

 

Getting her head out of her closed and off the clothes hanged there, Honey checked the clock on the wall. There was still time to visit that new shop with the cute dresses. Perfect!

It was a nice selection of clothes what they got in stock and she was more than happy to waltz through the rounds and rounds of them to pick the perfect one. So many with cute patterns and not so frilly frills! Dark with stars, light with flowers, with colorful stripes, with lots of dots. A lot on her size!

But those on the mannequins were so pretty! Falling in love with them was so easy and imagining being on those was even easier!  
  


“Ugh, this doesn’t fit well either…”  
  


Honey turned, and turned, posed, and turned. It was weirdly cut maybe? It wasn’t as flattering as she imagined. So there was another try, and another, and another… And another.  
  


“Miss, are you having problems with your sizing?”  
  


Honey looked around until she spotted the nice lady standing nearby. So stylish and pretty even with the store’s uniform. She could perfectly rock any of the dresses she tried on before and call it a day.

How lucky.  
  


“Hm. It’s not the size. I-I don’t know. They look bad on me. It sags here…”  
  


No hand gesture could explain it and Honey was already embarrassed of calling the attention of a worker when she could perfectly see herself in and out of a clothing store without help.

Sooo… The lady cocked her head to the side and asked her to try one again and show her. Honey believed she could tell her why the charm of those mannequins didn’t work on her as soon as she got out, but that little chuckle coming straight out of the lips of the retailer as soon as the curtain was drawn open made her stomach clench.

She must be looking silly! Her cheeks heated and her eyebrows grew close in distance.  
  


“Ah, I see. It’s an easy fix.”  
  


But as the woman went and returned with a wrist pincushion and started tailoring the torso of the dress. Honey noticed the other girls gawking at her, murmuring from afar with the nastiest look in their eyes. Were they making fun of her?  
  


“Miss, is this more to your liking?”  
  


Maybe it was the cut, or the fabric, or the way the image of that dress on the plastic thing was embedded on her mind… but that dress… looked so wrong on her body. She felt like one of those little girls having a matching dress to their mother’s.

Instead of having the nice silluette she wished, she saw a skinny pear with a blanket around having a head, arms and legs. Honey made a sound, and stared helplessly at the mirror.

Not pretty at all.  
  


_“What’s she doing?”  
_

_“Doesn’t she sees she can’t fill that dress? She’s so flat!”  
_

_“Maybe she should try on the child section!”  
_

Self consciously tucking her arms around her front, Honey blinked the bubbling tears away and dashed to the changing rooms, ignoring the lady helping her before.

She didn’t want to feel that way. She didn’t want to be there! Be seen like that!

_There isn’t a dress. There isn’t going to be a date… I’m so unpretty!_

 

* * *

> **P**  < Hey, Bae! Meet me at the park? 😏😉 )
> 
>                                                        ( Not coming. >  **H**
> 
> **P** < Ehh? You okay? Want me to come over? )  
>     < Say the emoji and you have me 🏃🏼🏃🏼🏃🏼)
> 
>                                                                       ( 😟 >  **H**  
>                                                                        ( 😢 >  **H  
>  **                                                                      ( 😭 >  **H**  

* * *

 

Prompto excused himself into her room and she knew he could tell she was upset with how he cooed softly at her. Her shoulders shook and she tried to calm herself as he sat behind her on the floor, pulling her closer to his chest by the waist. Honey sniffed and looked down as he rested his chin on her shoulder.  
  


“I’m here, Honey bee… Are you- okay?”  
  


His voice alone made her nibble on her bottom lip. Looking down, she saw his arms around her stomach, rubbing at her side over that old worn shirt of hers. Prompto didn’t held her with shame or with disgust.  
  


“Prom… Do you- D-do you thing I have an ugly body? A c-child’s body?”

“Uh? What’s that coming from?”

“A-Answer me!”  
  


Prompto squeaked at her scolding. She was emotional, better not push the wrong button. So as Honey waited, Prom silent and serious watched over her form.  
  


“I don’t know if you want me to make you see through my eyes or what, but believe me, you’re a pretty girl.” Prompto said slowly, surely, with so much love. “I think you’ve been seeing the wrong mirror but you’re one fit woman. You have abs more defined than mine. That’s not fair!”  
  


Taking advantage of the mirror almost in front of them, Prom raised her shirt a tiny bit up to show it to her, ticking her tummy as his comment put a funny look on her face. Her laugh gave him the opening so he continued.  
  


“You have killer thighs and I’m not saying I look at your butt, but you have one fine butt.” More laugher, a gentle firm push on his shoulder and he went on with a grin. That all wasn’t a lie. He spoke with his heart. Seeing her so crestfallen over body image issues made his heart sore, and knowing first hand how awful it was, he pushed his praises, gentle and honest, to make her see how pretty she truly was.

They ended up sitting face to face, Honey over Prompto’s lap. She looked down, looked up and shyly stared at his eyes.  
  


“I-I couldn’t find a dress for our date. I wanted a new one but- the one I liked… didn’t fit.” She paused, feeling her cheeks heat up. “I have no-  _s-squishies_  in the front to fill dresses like those.”  
  


_Squishies in the front? What that heck are-? OH MAN!_

Prompto’s face flared hot pink and he couldn’t help his eyes drifting low onto her torso, to the front of her shirt where the delicate globes of her breast rounded the fabric cutely.  
  


“B-b-but you do have squishies in the front- J-just-!”  
  


Stammering and looking around, their balance tipped and Prompto landed on his back with a gasp, Honey landing on him. They were chest to chest. They could feel the awkward press being so different! The beating of their hearts harder and closer. Blushing bright but not moving, Prompto only dared move her hair back and hold her waist to properly look at her eyes.

  
“S-So. Hm, you- You are really pretty, Hon. I kinda get your experience at the store sucked but you don’t need to fill a dress to be pretty. Mannequins are plastic and unrealistic body goals. I-I love you as you are. Petite and with cute curves…”  
  


Sniffing and smiling watery at Prompto, Honey hugged him until she was sure she wouldn’t cry. She felt so much lighter now! As thanks, she went to kiss his lips when the door opened and…  
  


“ARGENTUM!”

“A-AHH! I’m sorry, Mr. Naturae! WE WEREN’T DOING NOTHING OF NOTHING! I promise! I PROMISE!”

**Author's Note:**

> * :· ✧ ·: * * :· ✧ ·: * * :· ✧ ·: * * :· ✧ ·: * * :· ✧ ·: * * :· ✧ ·: * * :· ✧ ·: * * :· ✧ ·: * * :· ✧ ·: * * :· ✧ ·: * * :· ✧ ·: *  
> Curious notes: Carmen deeply dislikes to be seen without makeup. It takes some warming up to be ok with it. / Honey is self conscious about her body type.
> 
> If you want to read it on Tumblr, it has the same tittle.  
> . . . . .  
> Thank you for reading and enjoying this bit of fluff!  
> Feel free to leave a comment expressing your impressions, opinions or even a heart emoji to know if you liked it <3
> 
> Have an amazing day! :D
> 
> ~ Bloss ミ☆ & OBloss ❀


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